HOEY TRIAL IS STOPPED BY JUDGE
Hoey trial is stopped by judge
Exact wording of calls wanted
THE Diplock judge in the trial of alleged Omagh bomber Sean Hoey yesterday stopped the trial to allow the Crown time to ascertain the exact wording of the 999 and bomb warning calls made.
Mr Justice Weir told Belfast Crown Court he wanted "to have the terms" of a number of calls correct, commenting: "If there is one thing that this case has taught me, it's that it is better, where confirmatory material is available, to use it."
He asked prosecuting QC Ciaran Murphy if it was possible for the Crown and defence legal teams to collaborate in an effort to agree a transcript of the recorded calls, and if not, "we will play them to the court and make our own minds up".
The judge's call came after he heard how an operator for the Samaritans telephoned 999 after receiving a bomb warning on Saturday August 15, 1998.
She said she had been told there was a bomb "in the centre of Omagh, about 200 yards from the courthouse", but that when the officer, Constable Gary Murphy, relayed the message to Omagh RUC Station from Coleraine, he told them it's in "Omagh town centre" and gave the approximate distance.
Mr Justice Weir asked if it was possible to check "if he passed on the wrong message", and added: "It might be quite important to know what the policeman in Coleraine told the policeman in Omagh."
Telling the Crown he wanted to be able to trace the calls from their original source through 999 Command and Control, and onto what "the men on the ground" were told, Mr Justice Weir suggested to Mr Murphy and to defence QC Orlando Pownall that it might be better to adjourn this aspect of the case to allow further investigations to be made.
In the dock denying a total of 58 terrorist-related charges, including the 29 people murdered in the Omagh atrocity, is Hoey (37) an electrician from Jonesborough in south Armagh.
At hearing.
Exact wording of calls wanted
THE Diplock judge in the trial of alleged Omagh bomber Sean Hoey yesterday stopped the trial to allow the Crown time to ascertain the exact wording of the 999 and bomb warning calls made.
Mr Justice Weir told Belfast Crown Court he wanted "to have the terms" of a number of calls correct, commenting: "If there is one thing that this case has taught me, it's that it is better, where confirmatory material is available, to use it."
He asked prosecuting QC Ciaran Murphy if it was possible for the Crown and defence legal teams to collaborate in an effort to agree a transcript of the recorded calls, and if not, "we will play them to the court and make our own minds up".
The judge's call came after he heard how an operator for the Samaritans telephoned 999 after receiving a bomb warning on Saturday August 15, 1998.
She said she had been told there was a bomb "in the centre of Omagh, about 200 yards from the courthouse", but that when the officer, Constable Gary Murphy, relayed the message to Omagh RUC Station from Coleraine, he told them it's in "Omagh town centre" and gave the approximate distance.
Mr Justice Weir asked if it was possible to check "if he passed on the wrong message", and added: "It might be quite important to know what the policeman in Coleraine told the policeman in Omagh."
Telling the Crown he wanted to be able to trace the calls from their original source through 999 Command and Control, and onto what "the men on the ground" were told, Mr Justice Weir suggested to Mr Murphy and to defence QC Orlando Pownall that it might be better to adjourn this aspect of the case to allow further investigations to be made.
In the dock denying a total of 58 terrorist-related charges, including the 29 people murdered in the Omagh atrocity, is Hoey (37) an electrician from Jonesborough in south Armagh.
At hearing.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/1023
Published Date: 14-Oct-06
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